HBO drama probes the trauma of missing 2 percent

NEW YORK – Not long ago, 2 percent of the world’s population vanished. Quietly, instantly, with no provocation.

This unfathomable loss continues to haunt all those left behind, including residents of the small New York town that serves as the setting for “The Leftovers,” HBO’s eerie new drama premiering Sunday.

The 10-episode series brushes over the seminal event, picking up the story as the third anniversary of the Sudden Departure nears. It finds the locals (played by Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Chris Eccleston, Carrie Coon, Liv Tyler and Michael Gaston) mired in grief.

“They have to find a way to come together, but some people are going to be able to achieve that — and others aren’t,” says Damon Lindelof.

“The Leftovers” was co-created by Lindelof (of ABC’s “Lost”) and Tom Perrotta (who wrote the novel that inspired it). Earlier this week, they discussed their project.

Perrotta: “It’s a different kind of apocalyptic story, because the physical world remains intact. It deals with the psychological adjustment to trauma. It follows what people make of this mysterious, traumatic event, which doesn’t fit into either a scientific or religious framework.”

Lindelof: “Some people just try to go back to the way things were before this happened. Other people say, ‘This was a sign. I can’t continue to operate the same way now that this cosmic event has occurred.’ The opportunity we had was to write a show with characters who, in different ways, were trying to get on with their lives.

“This is not a meditation on grief, per se. But everybody on the show is suffering some kind of post-traumatic stress.”

Here in Mapleton, and around the world, the “leftovers” are dogged by the same awful unknowns about those who disappeared: What happened to them on that Oct. 14 upheaval? Where have they gone? And why them?

Lindelof: “If you were to read Tom’s book, within the first 50 pages, it would become clear that he has no interest whatsoever in resolving the issue of the departure. That’s not the story we’re telling here, either.”

And this stands as one of many differences between “The Leftovers” and “Lost,” Lindelof’s monumental thriller that kept viewers breathless for an explanation after a crash landing on a remote tropical island.

Lindelof: “On ‘Lost,’ right out of the gate, John Locke is saying, ‘We were brought here for a reason. I’m going into the jungle and seek out the answers.’ Not on this show.”